Quandary Peak Trip Report 08/22/2014

Peak(s):	Quandary Peak - 14,272 feet
Date Posted:	08/22/2014
Date Climbed:	08/07/2014
Author:	jmjr2k

A High Altitude Birthday On Quandary
Climbing 14er's is no easy task as it is known. Even though Quandary Peak is rated as an "Easy" hike, there is still a bit of work involved to make it to the summit. Quandary Trail Head For our annual trip to the mountains of Colorado, we decided to stay in the town of Breckenridge. It is short drive, about 8 miles, from the Quandary Peak TH which makes it easy to reach this 14er without having to get the coffee going too soon in the early hours of the morning. Last year, our group climbed Longs Peak, and were satisfied at our accomplishment of gaining the summit and returning to the car in the evening without any incident. So, we decided to try a 14er that wasn't as dangerous, but still offered a challenge, the chance to see some wildlife, and a beautiful summit. We got that, and a bit more. Quandary Trail Head Elevation We started out at 7:30 a.m. at the TH parking lot just off of Hwy 9 South of Breckenridge. There is parking further up where the actual TH begins, but unless you get there earlier, you stand the chance of turning around and going back down. But, for the .5 mile difference, why waste your time. I thought we could have gotten an earlier start, but we had climbed to the 13er, Pacific Peak, the day before and just couldn't roll out of bed soon enough. It is what it is, until we got to about 200 yards of the summit of Quandary... Below Tree Line The initial part of the hike takes you through a nicely groomed path with many trees and quite a bit of vegetation, but you can get through it pretty easily. However, it is a relentless uphill hike that doesn't give up! We had spent about 5 days at 10K feet in altitude in Breckenridge which helped us acclimate to prepare for the hike the day before at Pacific Peak and Quandary. You will find yourself huffing and puffing on the way up, but just give it a steady, comfortable, pace and you'll get to the top in good time. The Look Ahead After we came out of tree line, the talus begins to really show up. Also, at this point, the exposure to the mountain will be with you for the next 1.5-2 hours as you make your way to the top. Just when you think you're close to the summit, another section reveals your next goal. There are probably two, or three, of these false summits, but the hike can be entertaining along the way. The view of the lower valley to the South is beautiful, and the Blue Lakes dam & reservoir captures your attention for several photo opportunities. We also encountered several mountain goats which are quite popular to the mountain this time of year. Be careful because they are extremely friendly, and looking for hand-outs. As you can see, their pointed horns are very sharp, and it would not be good to discover their aggressiveness. On The Lookout Blue Lakes Dam As we were nearing the final push for the summit, the cumulus clouds continued to gather in the West behind the mountain. I have to admit, I had a touch of summit fever as we continued upward hoping those clouds would not gather for a big show. But, unfortunately, they did. With about 200 yards from the summit we were caught big time. Storm Clouds Brewing My son was ahead of us and had made the summit, snapped his pictures, took in a couple big breaths of amazement, and headed back down. He passed us on his way back down and informed us that heavy weather was following him. My son-in-law and I led the way up the mountain just a little further, but the hail began pounding us as we searched for the nearest protection from the storm. Of course, that left us to "hunker down" against a big rock, or boulder to wait it out. The First Summit Time To Hunker Down There were two other ladies from Denver who were ahead of us by a few yards that also got caught with us as well. We kept a close eye on the movement and intensity of the storm, and mainly encouraged each other that it would be over soon as we tossed our trekking poles away from us. About 20-30 minutes elapsed as the storm quickly passed over the mountain raining down hail, sleet, and then snow. We had it all, along with some lightning. This storm came up fast, and it would be wise to check the Western sky as you are beginning your ascent out of tree line since there is so much exposure on the mountain and really nowhere to hide. Seeing the sky begin to lighten more and more with the sun visible now, the storm had passed and we all said a prayer of thanks and decided to proceed up the final 200 yards to the summit. The sky was clear again. The gals from Denver made it to the top first, and we followed shortly thereafter around 12:00 pm. It would have been about 30 minutes sooner, but... I will say that the view from the summit just after a storm is amazing. We warmed up our hands, snapped a few pictures, and as an added bonus sang happy birthday to my youngest daughter who turned 21 on that day.Thanks, again, to the wonderful ladies from Denver who also provided the accompaniment for the birthday song. At high altitude, it's a little difficult to keep in tune. Ha! Anyhow, being able to celebrate your 21st birthday on the top of a 14er is a rare experience, and especially for this daughter; one that she will never forget! Final Destination II: Quandary Peak! My son made the summit, again, for a second time and joined us for the celebratory summit picture and birthday celebration. I asked him where he ended up on the mountain for protection from the storm which was about 100 yards further down from us. We spent about another 10 minutes snapping panoramic's with our iPhones when I noticed the sky darkening again in the West. Since we had already endured a "near death experience" we felt it wise to make our way back down the mountain and call it a day. The View From The Top Storm Clouds Gather-AGAIN The jury is still out as to what the preference would be for a 14er- the ascent, or descent! My son would rather hike/climb up the mountain, but I prefer going back down. Trekking poles come in handy on the way back down Quandary. Our group made as quick of a descent as possible, but still the storm gathered with more intensity behind us. We barely made it to tree line when the second round of storms hit with copious amounts of rain. We had to be careful on the last remaining talus in the way, and then it was the muddy path to deal with trying to steer clear of the exposed slippery tree roots. Heading Back Down Starting To Rain Have you ever seen a "drowned rat"? That pretty well describes me in this picture. By close to 3:00 p.m., we were pretty worn out and ready for the car. Rode Hard-Put Away Wet @ The End Nonetheless, besides the hazards of the day, it was a great experience and a life lesson for future 14er climbs. A Good End To The Day Hope you enjoy the report & more pic's below! Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

A High Altitude Birthday On Quandary

Climbing 14er's is no easy task as it is known. Even though Quandary Peak is rated as an "Easy" hike, there is still a bit of work involved to make it to the summit.

For our annual trip to the mountains of Colorado, we decided to stay in the town of Breckenridge. It is short drive, about 8 miles, from the Quandary Peak TH which makes it easy to reach this 14er without having to get the coffee going too soon in the early hours of the morning. Last year, our group climbed Longs Peak, and were satisfied at our accomplishment of gaining the summit and returning to the car in the evening without any incident. So, we decided to try a 14er that wasn't as dangerous, but still offered a challenge, the chance to see some wildlife, and a beautiful summit. We got that, and a bit more.

We started out at 7:30 a.m. at the TH parking lot just off of Hwy 9 South of Breckenridge. There is parking further up where the actual TH begins, but unless you get there earlier, you stand the chance of turning around and going back down. But, for the .5 mile difference, why waste your time. I thought we could have gotten an earlier start, but we had climbed to the 13er, Pacific Peak, the day before and just couldn't roll out of bed soon enough. It is what it is, until we got to about 200 yards of the summit of Quandary...

The initial part of the hike takes you through a nicely groomed path with many trees and quite a bit of vegetation, but you can get through it pretty easily. However, it is a relentless uphill hike that doesn't give up! We had spent about 5 days at 10K feet in altitude in Breckenridge which helped us acclimate to prepare for the hike the day before at Pacific Peak and Quandary. You will find yourself huffing and puffing on the way up, but just give it a steady, comfortable, pace and you'll get to the top in good time.

After we came out of tree line, the talus begins to really show up. Also, at this point, the exposure to the mountain will be with you for the next 1.5-2 hours as you make your way to the top. Just when you think you're close to the summit, another section reveals your next goal. There are probably two, or three, of these false summits, but the hike can be entertaining along the way. The view of the lower valley to the South is beautiful, and the Blue Lakes dam & reservoir captures your attention for several photo opportunities. We also encountered several mountain goats which are quite popular to the mountain this time of year. Be careful because they are extremely friendly, and looking for hand-outs. As you can see, their pointed horns are very sharp, and it would not be good to discover their aggressiveness.

As we were nearing the final push for the summit, the cumulus clouds continued to gather in the West behind the mountain. I have to admit, I had a touch of summit fever as we continued upward hoping those clouds would not gather for a big show. But, unfortunately, they did. With about 200 yards from the summit we were caught big time.

My son was ahead of us and had made the summit, snapped his pictures, took in a couple big breaths of amazement, and headed back down. He passed us on his way back down and informed us that heavy weather was following him. My son-in-law and I led the way up the mountain just a little further, but the hail began pounding us as we searched for the nearest protection from the storm. Of course, that left us to "hunker down" against a big rock, or boulder to wait it out.

There were two other ladies from Denver who were ahead of us by a few yards that also got caught with us as well. We kept a close eye on the movement and intensity of the storm, and mainly encouraged each other that it would be over soon as we tossed our trekking poles away from us. About 20-30 minutes elapsed as the storm quickly passed over the mountain raining down hail, sleet, and then snow. We had it all, along with some lightning. This storm came up fast, and it would be wise to check the Western sky as you are beginning your ascent out of tree line since there is so much exposure on the mountain and really nowhere to hide.

Seeing the sky begin to lighten more and more with the sun visible now, the storm had passed and we all said a prayer of thanks and decided to proceed up the final 200 yards to the summit. The sky was clear again. The gals from Denver made it to the top first, and we followed shortly thereafter around 12:00 pm. It would have been about 30 minutes sooner, but... I will say that the view from the summit just after a storm is amazing. We warmed up our hands, snapped a few pictures, and as an added bonus sang happy birthday to my youngest daughter who turned 21 on that day.Thanks, again, to the wonderful ladies from Denver who also provided the accompaniment for the birthday song. At high altitude, it's a little difficult to keep in tune. Ha! Anyhow, being able to celebrate your 21st birthday on the top of a 14er is a rare experience, and especially for this daughter; one that she will never forget!

My son made the summit, again, for a second time and joined us for the celebratory summit picture and birthday celebration. I asked him where he ended up on the mountain for protection from the storm which was about 100 yards further down from us. We spent about another 10 minutes snapping panoramic's with our iPhones when I noticed the sky darkening again in the West. Since we had already endured a "near death experience" we felt it wise to make our way back down the mountain and call it a day.

The jury is still out as to what the preference would be for a 14er- the ascent, or descent! My son would rather hike/climb up the mountain, but I prefer going back down. Trekking poles come in handy on the way back down Quandary. Our group made as quick of a descent as possible, but still the storm gathered with more intensity behind us. We barely made it to tree line when the second round of storms hit with copious amounts of rain. We had to be careful on the last remaining talus in the way, and then it was the muddy path to deal with trying to steer clear of the exposed slippery tree roots.

Have you ever seen a "drowned rat"? That pretty well describes me in this picture. By close to 3:00 p.m., we were pretty worn out and ready for the car.

Nonetheless, besides the hazards of the day, it was a great experience and a life lesson for future 14er climbs.

Hope you enjoy the report & more pic's below!

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

Hornet22	Great pics 8/28/2014 2:15pm Great report and looks like you guys had quite an experience up there. Wonderful pictures.
jmjr2k	@Hornet22 8/29/2014 5:43am Thanks for looking over the TR, and glad you liked the pic's! Yeah, it was quite a day, and one we won't forget. We are all back here in Missouri at 893' above sea level and missing the mountains!

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